It was so bad that Apple broke one of their most sacred rules and offered cash refunds to the disenchanted.

Even yours truly, shortly after buying my own license, jumped onto the bandwagon.

However, I must now apologize to all my fellow professional editors, and say…

After using FCP X for several months, I’m ready to change my tune… mostly.

Though it's still not ready for prime time, Final Cut Pro X is pretty close.

Yes, it took some getting used to, but that’s only because I was conditioned to edit in the traditional “professional” way.

I’ve found enough powerful editing tools in this interface that I can achieve everything I want with even more precision than any other tool i’ve ever used.

I can definitely understand why other long-time editors would reject this software package.  It defies the time honored methods that have sustained our livelihoods for so long.  Change like this has always been met with resistance.  If your old enough you surely remember the same kind of push-back when Grass Valley Switchers became swapped out for Avid boxes.  It sure seemed like a huge step backward.

While AVR 77 AVID video looked like crap, it marked a milestone of change in our industry.

Those that did not understand the shift from linear to computer-based editing where missing the whole point back then.

I certainly didn’t embrace AVID 16 years ago when my employer switched over, but I respected the fact that things were going to be different.  I respected that I was either going to go along with the change, or I was going to be left behind.

Of course, I was young and bouncy 16 years ago.  The idea of paradigm shifts in time-honored work pipelines didn’t mean as much to me.  I was just thrilled back then to be editing.

This is the main feature of Final Cut Pro X for me.

I have done several projects on it, and I ‘m having fun again.  Storytelling is again, as it should be, my main involvement.

Don’t mistake the mechanics of injesting footage, transcoding formats, and logging clips for the joy of telling a story.

Apple has litterally brought the joy of story telling back to me.

There are problems with Final Cut Pro X, I mean let’s be real.

• It has miserable compositing tools. (I know Motion 5 is $30, but it doesn’t count)
• Timeline navigation is wonky – undoing often results in teleportation to nether regions of your show.
• Subclip? There’s no such thing.
• Still subject to random crashes.

Still, despite all the unbelievable oversights on Apple’s part- I love using Final Cut Pro X.  I’ve found work-arounds for all the above problems.  The crashes aren’t nearly as frequent as say Media Composer 3.  Also, unlike AVID’s earlier offerings, crashes never seem to result in any loss of editing work. (Thanks to the latest update, anyway.)

I’m sorry.  During the last revolution (linear to non-linear) I just wasn’t this happy, guys.

This has nothing to do with the article!

All at once, your senses come alive.  Your ears ache from the unmistakeable rumble of an automobile engine.  Your nostrils fill with the unmistakeable scent of gasoline.  Your eyes haven’t had time to adjust to the daylight, but you recognize that a black Cadillac is bearing down on your position.

Your head is ringing like a fire bell, and you’ve just woken up on the freeway.   How?  Why?

The mystery will wait to be answered.  Now, you need to survive.

Was that a good way to begin a story?

(let’s just say it’s good.)

Now, read the following:

I went out friday night with my friends.  They gave me a glass filled with what I thought was iced tea.  We talked, and we told some jokes.  Then I started to feel a little strange.  I think things got a little crazy, and you’re not going to believe what happened next…

Uhh.  That last one stunk?

Exactly.  The first story beginning hooked you in because you found yourself in the middle of action right away.

(I like action.  People like action.  You like action.  If you don’t like action, then pretend you like action.)

• So the action amps the reader up, and provides a reason to keep reading.  How did this guy end up on the freeway?  What’s he going to do next?

The second story beginning stunk because you’re told, right off the bat most of the details.

• The reader can easily fill in the details on their own, and they have no reason to continue.

When you’re making your own movie, don’t make it stinky.

Drop your viewers into some action right away.

Also remember that movies are a visual medium.  The more action you can show, the more compelling your movie will be.

(Hey that’s a song by Rush- Show Me, Don’t Tell Me… and my nerd factor just ratcheted up another notch.)

If you can hook your audience into your story right off the bat, then that does NOT STINK at all.

Class dismissed.  (Go make an awesome home movie.)